Stacking device



May 6, 1969 L. D. ROOT ET AL 3,442,507

STACKING DEVICE Filed July 19, 1967 Sheet of s I CD'I 1 LAWRENCE D. ROOTY WILBERN F. DAVIS ATTORNEY May 6, 1969 ROOT ET AL 3,442,507

STACKING DEVICE Filed July l9, 1967 Sheet 2 of s I I a I 95 O um FIG. 2

INVENTORS.

LAWRENCE D. ROOT Y WILBERN F. DAVIS ATTORNEY Filed July 19, 1967 May 6,1969 RQOT ET AL 3,442,507

STACKING DEVICE Sheet l of INVENTORS,

LAWRENCE D. ROOT WILBERN F. DAVIS ATTORNEY United States Patent3,442,507 STACKING DEVICE Lawrence D. Root, Acton, and Wilbern F. Davis,Sharon,

Mass., assignors to Honeywell, Inc., Minneapolis,

Minn., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 19, 1967, Ser. No. 654,551Int. Cl. B65h 31/04 U.S. Cl. 271-87 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Arecord stacking, push-plate, device for arranging on a stacking hopperbed of a record handling device adjacent a record-injection zonethereon, so as to receive injected records and retain them in aprescribed stacked relation, the device being provided with wheels andassociated tracks for guided travel along the stacking axis and furtherincluding a resilient web mounted to be springwound inside the deviceand anchored on the bed so as to be laid down as a mat-support forrecords as they are stacked.

PROBLEMS, INVENTION FEATURES In the data processing and related arts,unit records are commonly fed from a processor, such as a card reader,punch, sorter, etc., so as to be thrust into one or more output hopperbins by an associated stacker. Such stackers typically thrust recordsthrough a stacker-throat, successively, onto a hopper bed BS (seeFIGURE 1) periodically with a prescribed thrust to assure that, as thestacked deck builds up, it is retained in stacked alignment by a pusherblade device. This device conventionally follows the building deck byyielding motion away from stacking throat. Prior art push-platearrangements are not very tolerant of some problems involved in sostacking records; in fact, they commonly contribute difliculties oftheir own. For instance, in U.S. 3,271,026 to German, there is shown astacked deck of records 39 held by pushplate 42 in prescribed relationwith a stacking injector arrangement which, quite typically, will thrustan injected record against stack 39, moving the stack away, against theresistance of push-plate 42, this thrust being controllably resisted bya return spring means 46A, 46B. These return springs are quite typicalof the prior art in that they are coupled between the stacking-injectionplane and the (movable) push-plate so that when the plate is thrust awayfrom the stacker by forces on the deck 39, the spring means 46 willresist this thrust to a degree. Like virtually all conventional(non-gravity-returned) pushplates, plate 42 has this return spring meansso arranged, relative the record stack, that it couplespush-plate-excursion to spring excursion. -It will be recognized that arelatively constant return force is preferable, but is very diflicult toprovide over long spring excursions without either over-long, cumbersomeextension springs or else complex multiple spring systems and transitioncouplings. For instance, while the invention has been found apt forlarge capacity hoppers requiring a typical maximum (fullhopper)push-excursion of about 1-8 inches, using a conventional extension coilspring which had a relatively constant spring rate over this distancewould require a coil about 55 inches long-an intolerable size for thetypical business machine's. Yet, using a dolly pusher according to theembodiment herein, and coupling an internal Negtor type spring carriedinside the dolly so as to lay down a web as the dolly is pushed, canprovide a simple, easily replaced spring arrangement for this 18 inchexcursion with none of the aforementioned problems. Prior artpush-plates can tolerate a maximum of about only 1300 punched cards in astacking hopper where devices like the embodiment can stack 2500 cardsor more. This is because, unlike prior art devices, their spring rate isindependent of their extended length (that is, of the number of cardsstacked in the hopper).

Also, prior art return springs which so embrace a stacked deck caninduce several unhappy stacking characteristics, especially at highstacking speeds (e.g. about 1,000 cards per minute). One such result isdeck oscillation, that is, where the entire deck rocks to and fropractically continually (dancing deck) in response to the thrust of thestacker on the deckof the deck on the push-plateand of the push-plateagainst the spring systemand back again. As workers in the art wellknown, this dancing can badly degrade the condition of the cards, suchas by abrading their edges, etc. The invention, on the other hand, findsan answer to this problem in this unique dolly-pusher embodiment whereinreturn spring means do not couple the deck (excursion) directly to thereturn spring system and do not appear to have such problems as thedancing deck.

For instance, in using the present embodiment of the invention, with acard stacker at about 1000 c.p.m., such a dolly will confine its returnspring forces essentially within itself, being coupled, returningly, tothe stack throat area by a non-rigid means (the flexible plastic web).This apparently clamps out all undesirable pusherthrust since anyoscillation of the deck is confined, at worst, to a small area veryclose to the stacker and moreover is not serious there. It will beapparent to those skilled in the art that devices according to theinvention can allow high-speed stacking, such as about 1000 c.p.m.,whereas prior art push-plates cannot do so without inducing problems,such as the above.

Prior art stacking arrangements are typically forced to skid a card edgealong the output-hopper bed which, though supposedly smooth (e.g. coatedfor a low coefficient of friction), is typically scratched, abraded,pockmarked etc., roughening it so that skidding card edges are easilyfrayed. The invention, on the other hand, teaches providing theaforementioned web-coupling between the return spring (inside thepush-plate) and the stacking throat to act as a card-receiving mat witha low-friction, card-skidding surface, e.g. of Teflon, Mylar or thelike. This web surface, being exposed only when unrolled with recordsstacked thereon, is not ordinarily subject (exposed) to theaforementioned abrasion or other surface deterioration. Further, withboth the wound spring and the web (wound thereon) mounted compactlywithin the pusher-dolly itself, they are obviously more accessible (e.g.for quick replacement). Alternatively, the dolly can easily be removedand replaced.

Thus, it is a general object of the present invention to provide deviceswhich exhibit the aforementioned features and advantages and are free ofthe stated problems and objectionable characteristics. Another object isto provide such a push-plate arrangement which couples a return springbetween itself and anchoring means via a resilient web. Another objectis to mount such a web so as to be unspooled to provide a relativelyprotected record-skidding surface. A further object is to provide a(leveled) push-plate device having return spring means which avoidsmaking the spring extension a function of the maximum push-excursion;preferably maintaining a constant spring rate over a long excursion, yetwith a compact spring arrangement. Another object is to mount a coiltype return spring within such a device to be extended bypush-excursions.

Still another object is to provide such a push-plate and return springarrangement which eliminates deck-dancing problems and the like. Stillanother object is to provide a push-plate mechanism coupled adjacent arecordstacking-injection zone of a business machine by means of anon-rigid, resilient web coupling, itself having no return springaction. Still another object is to provide such a push-plate toaccommodate high-speed card stacking, up to about 1000 cards per minute.Still another object is to provide such a stacking arrangement adaptedto accommodate an extended deck of punched cards, up to about 2500.

The foregoing and related objects, features and advantages of theinvention will become more apparent from consideration of the followingdescription, including the accompanying drawings, wherein the embodimentof the invention, somewhat oversimplified, generally comprises arolling-dolly type push-plate, mounted on a stacking bed to be guided byprescribed tracks and including return spring means mounted withinitself and coupled to the stacking-injection zone by a non-rigid webarranged so as to be laid down along the bed as a card skid as the dollyis pushed. The foregoing features, advantages and objects of theinvention, together with related ones, will be better appreciated bythose skilled in the art from the following detailed specification of apreferred embodiment, together with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein like numerals denote like parts, these drawingscomprising:

FIGURE 1, a side elevation, in partial section, showing a push-platedolly embodiment of the invention as arranged on a hopper bed adjacent aprescribed card stacker arrangement;

FIGURE 2 shows in schematic perspective, a plurality of stacker-hopperarrays, each provided with a dolly like that of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 shows a front elevation, in partial section along lines 33, ofthe embodiment in FIGURE 1.

Referring now to the drawings, FIGURE 1 may be understood as showing adolly (push-plate) D mounted to ride (on rollers 22) along a prescribedhopper bed BS, being guided as indicated below. Dolly D is arranged tostackingly receive punched cards (e.g. CD-l) injected in a prescribedmanner from an associated stacker arrangement ST. Dolly D includes areturn spring arrangement S coupled to a non-rigid plastic web (or mat)W which is spooled onto the spring and led around idler I to be unrolledalong hopper bed BS, being secured, such as by clamp WC, adjacent theinjection zone (stacking plane of stacker ST, adjacent plane of CD-l).

STACKER Stacker ST is, of course, only exemplary of high-speed recordstacker devices with which this dolly push-plate embodiment may be aptlyused. Stacker ST comprises a pair of injection rollers IR, IR adapted toaccept cards, such as from an upstream sorting diverter or the like, tobe engaged in their nip and thrust upwardly, along a curved hood HD tobe stopped against a resilient stopping spring SP. SP should be limitedby an overtravel stop SPS. An injected card such as CD-l (fragment inphantom) will be thrust by rollers IR, IR through a prescribed throatopening established by an adjustable throat block TB relative to a fixedportion 'I'IB of hood HD, the gap therebetween preferably beingadjustable and closed, uni-directionally, by one or more throat fingersTFG. A so-injected card will be decelerated as it is slid along thecurved surface of hood HD and against spring SP, these being dimensionedto accommodate a selected card length (and made adjustable if desired,e.g. to accommodate a shorter card). Thus, as the leading edge of a cardis arrested against spring SP, its trailing edge will be urged downalong a stepped shuttle SH and a ramp array, such as the pair of rampsR, R (by restoring force of SP) and prevented from falling back into thethroat gap by spring-loaded fingers TFG. Having alighted on ramps R, R,the trailing card edge will then be stepped down in the stackingdirection (arrow S while the leading edge rests against a contact plateportion 17 of dolly D. Stacking shuttle SH (e.g. SH-3 for hopper -H-3,see FIGURE 2) will be understood as continually oscillating between(Forward-Reverse) extremes SH-F, SH-R (phantom) to effect this step-downstacking thrust, ramps R, R serving as a pair of inclined bases alongwhich the cards may be stepped (by SH) until dropping off the rampedgesRE and grounding onto bed BS. Ramps R, R may be assumed to be fixedcontinuous surfaces arranged to slope downward from the throat towardbed BS terminating at front edges RE, RE. The oscillation of shuttle SHwill thus step an injected card down ramps R, R to be thrust againstplate 17, or any cards stacked thereon, ramp edges RE, RE preventing(limiting) any backward movement toward stacker ST. When a card is soinjected, decelerated, dropped and forward-thrust against dolly D, itmay then be assumed (FIGURE 1) to be resting against contact plate 17 aswith CD-l. In operation of a typical shuttle SH, it has been found thatthe force available at the bottom riser of shuttle SH to drive thestacked deck is about 13 pounds maximum with a linear horizontaldisplacement, along bed BS, of about with negligible verticaldisplacement. Thus, it will be understood that a card injected pastthroat finger TFG, after being stopped by flexure spring, SP will slide(or drop) its trailing edge down across throat block TB onto ramps R, Rto be thereafter gravity-urged down the ramps toward bed BS, this motionbeing assisted and accelerated by the continual oscillating thrust ofsuccessive steps (risers) on shuttle SH until the card drops onto thebed BS (onto web W thereon), resting against edges RE, RE and either thecontact plate 17 or intermediate cards resting thereagainst. It will beassumed that the lowermost riser of shuttle SH will give the incomingcard a final thrust against dolly D (or interposed card deck) to assurea gap between edges RE, RE and plate 17 to admit this incoming card ontobed BS.

PUSHERDOLLY As best seen in FIGURES 1 and 3, dolly D comprises abox-like frame assembly, (U-shaped housing) 11 forming a containerdefined by a pair of bottom surfaces (support blocks) 13 partly closingthe housing. From blocks 13 are projected, dependingly, two pairs ofaligned roller brackets 14, 14', each pair being integral with 13 andaligned and bored to register for journaling an associated roller axle21, 21 (the left and right portions of these brackets, associatedrollers and other symmetrical elements are labelled R, L correspondingto right and left elements as viewed in FIGURE 3). Each axle 21, 21 alsoprojects through an oversized U-slot (for clearance in-assembly) in leftand right bottom flange portions 18-L, 18-R, respectively, theseextending from the sides of housing 11. As best seen in FIGURE 3, eachaxle mounts a pair of rollers (or Wheels) 22, 22 positionedconventionally (e.g. by means of a retaining ring) and adapted to allowdolly D to roll easily across bed BS. (Low-friction skids may also beused, or the like). On the left and right ends of each axle (21, 21) arejournably affixed a pair of guide wheels 24, 24, being held thereon by aretaining ring or the like as with rollers 22, 22. However, only onestop-limiting ring is used, on the outward side of the roller, the inneredge being thrust by an associated thrust coil spring 18 in the case ofright rollers 22-R, 22'R. Thrust springs 18 act to maintain the wheelsin a prescribed outboard guiding position to be resiliently thrustinboard thereof, such as for an operator to remove dolly D from thehopper or for accommodating irregularities in the guide rail GR, or thelike. Each such pair of guide wheels 24 has an outward beveled surface24-BV extending conically around a circumference thereof and adapted,when dolly D is in operative position in a stacking hopper, to be thrustagainst one of an opposing pair of guide rails GR-l, GR-2 (for hopper 1in FIGURES 2 and 3). That is, according to this feature of theinvention, guide wheels 24, being thrust resiliently outwardly andbeveled, will engage guide rails GR on opposite sides of dolly D tomaintain it along a prescribed horizontal, vertical translation(stacking) axis 8,, very conveniently. For accommodating a smoothguiding engagement, the wheel-engaging corners of guide rails GR may besimilarly beveled, if desired.

As before indicated, the rear, or card-contacting end, of dolly D isprovided with a contact plate 17 aflixed thereto at a prescribedcard-orienting angle with bed BS and having a prescribed width(approximately that of the cards to be handled) together with a lengthsuflicient to extend from adjacent bed BS up a substantial portion ofthe card length supportingly. An indentation 1-7-C is provided centrallyalong the top edge thereof, such as to allow an operator to convenientlygrasp the deck adjacent this plate. It is preferable that the rearwarddisplacement of dolly D (toward stacker ST) be limited; hence, a stop DSis preferably provided under each guide rail GR so disposed as to engagethe rear wheels 22' (see FIGURE 1 and plane DDS). This will limit thereturn excursion of dolly D as pulled, by return spring S, towardstacker ST so as not to touch shuttle SH (if hopper is empty) orinterfere with its operation. DS is disposed to leave a slight gapbetween the lower edge of contact plate 17 and ramp edges RE, RE foradmitting the first card. The housing elements of dolly D may preferablybe comprised of sheet metal, the parts being stamped and welded, screwedor otherwise joined together. A flange 19 is also provided for grippingby the attendant (to pull D and remove cards). Wheels 24 arespring-loaded against rails GR to guide dolly D in a straight line alongaxis S over the length of the hopper (stack-pocket).

As indicated in FIGURE 2 there may be a dolly of the type indicated inFIGURES 1 and 3 provided for each of several stacking hoppers (stackingpockets) H-1, H-2, H-3 etc. of a single unitary machine, these hoppers,for instance, comprising reject, normal #1 and normal #2 pocketsrespectively, into which documents may be sortdirected and stacked.Thus, FIGURE 2 shows an array of three adjacent stacker units ST-1,ST-2, ST-3, each having the general construction of stacker ST in FIGURE1 and each being adapted to feed a respective hopper H1, H-2, H-3, thesehoppers being defined by guide rails GR (e.g. GR-l and GR2 for H1, GR-Zand GR-3 for H-2 and GR3 and GR-4 for II-3). A pusher dolly, like dollyD in FIGURES 1 and 3, is shown provided for each such hopper, namelydollies D-l, D-2 and D3 (the latter not shown except for its associatedWeb W3 As will be shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, each dolly D may be providedwith a permanent magnet means MG mounted from a bracket within the dollyto project adjacent its front face at a prescribed position so it mayco-act with a magnetic sensor (switch) operating as a hopper-full switchwhen the associated dolly is pushed forward to its limit (definable byweb W). For instance, an encapsulated reed switch may be located thefront of each hopper so that when an associated dolly D is pushed fullyforward (by a maximum capacity deck), this switch may be operated byassociated magnet MG in the dolly to indicate this full condition (suchan indication is commonly used to disable card picker and feedmechanisms so as not to jam the machine).

RETURN SPRING As before mentioned pusher dolly D in FIGURES 1 and 3 isurged returningly toward stacker ST by a return spring means S, beingcoupled to the machine frame via the non-rigid plastic web W. Spring Sis mounted inside dolly housing 11 and adapted to controllably opposethe thrusts of the shuttle SH on the rear of the (expanding) deck ofcards stacked against dolly D. As dolly D is so thrust, periodically,away from stacker ST, web W, being wrapped therein, will be unwrapped.Thus, web W is preferably anchored onto a rotatable spring drum 1 which,in turn, is aflixed to one end of a prescribed coil spring SP. Spring SPincludes a hub portion, or spool 3, which is journably projected fromthe side of housing 11 via a spacer shaft 7, spool 3 having a hub 4which is rotatably journaled into shaft 7 (FIGURE 3) and forconvenience, made removable. Thus, web W is intended to be normallyrolled onto drum 1 to be stored inside dolly D to be unrolled and laiddown onto bed BS as the dolly is thrust away from stacker ST. Thisunrolling will, of course, be resisted by the spring SP which ispreferably a constantrate spring such as a Negtor type spring or thelike. A Flextor spring reel (Hunter Spring Co.) was found suitable forthis embodiment.

As mentioned, injected cards will preferably be dropped onto theunrolled web W which may thereby form a mat. Thus, Web W is preferablyof Mylar or a like slippery, lowfriction surface on which the deck mayslide as it builds up. The entering cards will push dolly D, asindicated by the arrow, causing Mylar web W to be unwound from drum 1which, in turn, will be rotated against the restoring force of springSP. Of course, if some or all of the stacked cards are removed,decreasing the size of the deck, return spring SP on drum 3 will urgedolly D to return back toward stacker ST, winding up the slack in thevacated section of web W to thrust contact plate 17 back against theremaining deck. 1Drum 3 will have a width about that of web W, beingfastened circumferentially around spool 3 in the form of a split-ringclamp using attaching screws 5, 5.

In summary, it will appear that the invention above described providesimproved hopper stacking means and particularly an improved dolly typepush-plate means therefor. It will be apparent that the invention isthus provided an advantageous pusher dolly including a return springmeans within itself, this spring means being anchored to the hopper bedso as to span a stacked deck without imposing spring forces thereacross,and with coupling spring excursion directly to push-excursion. It willbe apparent that this novel push-dolly advantageously is provided withguide wheels engaging guide-rails for maintaining alignment and guidingmotion conveniently, yet without substantially impeding the rollingfreedom of the device. It will further be apparent that a constructionis taught which is particularly apt for use with a constantrate returnspring (such as a Negtor spring or the like). It will also be apparentthat this design has been optimized through use of a low-friction weblaid down along the hopper bed as the dolly is pushed to thereby providean advantageous skid-surface for the deck, being rolled up inside thepush-dolly and protected against surface-damage when not in use. Ofcourse, related push-dolly constructions may be used to achieve the sameor similar results. For instance, the support rolls may be replaced bylowfriction skid means or the like, as may the guiding wheels. Ofcourse, such a dolly may be used with a different type stacker anddifferent unit record documents, although the dolly size, return springetc. will have to be adjusted to accommodate these. The web, of course,need not serve as a card-skid if not desirable. It will be apparent thatthe aforedescribed push-dolly of the invention goes a long Way towardseliminating the problems associated with related prior art devices, suchas those aforementioned, like deck oscillation, in ability to acceptfast card-feed (e.g. up to about 1000 c.p.m.) or to accept a large deck(e.g. up to about 2500 punched cards), inability to provide areturn-spring rate independent of extended length (or deck size);inability to be self-aligning along the stacking path and the like.

What is claimed as novel and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A pusher dolly for stacking records injected by stacker means intothe output hopper of a prescribed record handling machine and along aprescribed stack axis along the hopper bed, this dolly comprising:

a housing portion including a stacking surface adapted to receive saidinjected records; moving means mounting said housing portion on saidhopper bed so that it may be urged therealong comparatively freely;guide means adapted to guide said housing along said stacking axis as itis moved along said bed; return spring means; resilient web meansconnected to said housing so as to be laid along said bed as a mat forsaid cards when said housing is pushed by the cards along said axis,said spring means having a relatively constant spring rate and beingcoupled to one end of said web so as to keep it normally rolled up, saidweb and spring means being connected to said housing so as to beunrolled and extended as said cards are thrust thereagainst by saidstacker means whereby to controllably oppose a portion of this thrust,said spring being extendible in length to a degree not directly relatedto the pushing excursion distance of said housing and of the size of thedeck stacked in the hopper.

2. The combination recited in claim 1 wherein said return spring meanscomprises a coil spring mounted rotatably on said housing portion so asto be uncoiled as the size of the stacked deck increases.

3. The combination recited in claim 2 wherein said one end of said webis anchored adjacent the stacker end of said hopper bed and the otherend is coupled to said spring so as to be urged to be kept normallyspooled thereon within said dolly.

4. The combination recited in claim 3 wherein said guide means comprisea pair of track guides, one being arranged along each side of the hopperbed so as to engage the dolly to direct its motion along the saidstacking axis and to maintain it flat upon the bed.

5. The combination recited in claim 4 wherein said moving meanscomprises at least one opposed pair of wheels arranged to releasablymate with said track guides so as to maintain the moving dolly along aprescribed reference direction and constant attitude.

6. The combination recited in claim 5 wherein said stacker meanscomprises a stacking down-ramp together with a shuttling-staircasepusher for Stepping injected cards down the ramp; and wherein said webis comprised of non-rigid, low-friction material.

7. The combination recited in claim 6 wherein said spring is a Negtortype constant-rate coil spring and wherein said web is comprised ofMylar.

8. In apparatus for handling unit record documents including one or morestacking hoppers and stacker means arranged to urge documents into saidhoppers with a prescribed thrust and attitude, the combination therewithof pusher means arranged in each hopper to receive said stackeddocuments, to arrest them in a relatively constant manner at aprescribed attitude and to be gradually thrust thereby away from saidstacker means to stack a deck of documents along a prescribed stackingdirection; said pusher means comprising:

a dolly housing mounted to freely move yieldingly when so thrust aprescribed amount directed by said documents and stacker means andspring means coupled to said housing and arranged to limit this yieldand to provide a relatively constant return force indipendent of thesize of the stacked documents deck, said housing being anchored to seeka prescribed home position adjacent said stacker means by web meansarranged to be unrolled along the hopper bed as the dolly is pushed andthereby provide a protected base mat for the stacked documents.

9. The combination recited in claim 8 wherein each said hopper includesguide means defining said direction; wherein said housing is mounted onwheels engaging said track means and wherein said spring means isarranged to spool said web, unspooling it as the housing is thrust awayfrom said stacker means.

10. The combination recited in claim 9 wherein said spring meanscomprises a constant-rate Negtor type coil spring rotatably mountedwithin said housing.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,291,485 12/1966 Darwin 271-89XEDWARD A. SROKA, Primary Examiner.

